In the mass production of center filled confections such as gummy candy, also known as jelly candy or fruit snacks using starch deposition equipment or methods, a low viscosity during deposition is desirable to avoid “candy tailing.” The problem of candy tailing is a phenomenon where a string of product runs from one deposit to the next, thereby inter-linking the desired individual sweets or pieces of confection. An additional problem in the production of center-filled products is an off-centered filling which results in a portion of the shell being thin and subject to breakage. A troublesome problem with off-centered product is that the pieces are more prone to leakage. Off-centered products tend to result in “leakers” or product in which the center or filler component leaks out of the shell or is exposed due to weakness or thin spots in the shell.
Excessively thin walls resulting from off-centered fillers may also limit the shapes into which the product can be molded, and may also limit the amount of filling because during deposition and molding, the generally cylindrical shape of the shell may be substantially changed. The change in shell shape for enrobing of the filler, and the change in shape to fill a mold cavity may further thin the shell walls.
The thinning problem may be further exacerbated when depositing into a mold cavity having a disproportionally longer vertical dimension or greater depth, than horizontal dimension, or width or vice versa (i.e., tall and slender or short and wide). For a given piece weight, when depositing into a cavity of these proportions there is less leeway for increasing the shell flow rate so as to create thicker shell side walls because the surface area of the piece (both shell and center) is much greater. To obtain thicker walls it may necessary to substantially reduce the amount of filler, thereby detracting from the sensation of a different texture or liquid center.
The leakage problem is of particular concern in the production of liquid or fluid filled confections. Leakage creates a sticky product and detracts from the liquid center sensation. The leakage may occur during material handling processes inherent in the manufacture of gummy or jelly sweets or fruit snacks. For example, leakage may occur after molding during oiling, polishing, and packaging operations as well as during transport and long term shelf storage in bags or pouches.
Another problem with off-centered products is that their appearance my be undesirable, even if the leaked filler is non-sticky. For example, for center filled products having a different colored or flavored center, the filler may be visible on the surface, or the different filler flavor may be tasted prematurely. Also, products having a transparent or translucent shell component and an off-centered filling may appear less attractive than a centered filler even if the filler has not leaked to the outer surface of the shell component.
Center filled confections are generally produced using commercially available Mogul or starch depositor equipment such as starch depositors manufactured by NID Pty. Ltd., Winkler and Dunnebier, and Werner Makat. In center fill manifold and nozzle combinations used for starch depositing, a center product or filler component runs down an inner tube down the center or middle of the manifold nozzle to near the extraction point of the nozzle. At this point it is surrounded by the shell component which has been flowing down the annular space in the nozzle between the nozzle outer wall and the inner tube. Generally, the manifolds are machined to have only one entry point for the shell component per cavity or nozzle.
However, it has been found that in the production of gummy or jelly candies or fruit snacks, as the shell portion is very fluid to avoid candy tailing, the shell component tends to preferentially flow down the side at which it was introduced into the annular space in the manifold. As a result, the center product is preferentially forced to the far side (side furthest away from the point of shell introduction in the manifold) in the stream emanating from the nozzle tip. This preferential flow of the shell component along the single side of introduction in the annular space and displacement of the filler by the shell component results in off-centered product. The loss in concentricity tends to be more pronounced when the viscosity of the filler component is substantially less than the viscosity of the shell component, such as in liquid center filled products.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,907 to Knebl et al discloses a chewy confection having an outer casing comprising chewing gum base and a sweetener, and a center filling which is an aerated plastic blend.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,968 to Durst discloses a molding apparatus for forming comestible shapes. A control means controls the flow of comestible into the mold cavity, the rotation of a scraper, and the opening and closing of a movable means for closing an open end of the mold to permit shaping of the comestible within the mold.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,847,098 and 4,853,236, European Patent Publication Nos. 333,510 A2, and 333,510 B1, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 2009346 published Jan. 12, 1990 each to Langler disclose dual textured food products comprising a portion of one texture and a second portion of a different texture that exhibits enhanced shelf life stability. The food products may be fruit snack pieces comprising a soft, supportive, fruit-containing shell portion and a second, more fluid, variably textured core portion. The shell portion can comprise a dehydrated fruit puree composition. In the products of U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,098 the core portion can comprise w/o emulsions characterized by low fat levels and defined gelled phases. In the products of U.S. Pat. No. 4,853,236 the core portion can comprise an o/w emulsion to create a hydrophobic, liquid fat barrier between the portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,380 to Durst discloses apparatus for manufacturing a multicolored aerated confection product utilizing individually adjustable multi-orifice extrusion systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,602 to Bainbridge et al discloses an apparatus for making confectionary or other shell goods by filling a mold with a desired media, such as molten chocolate, and then inverting the mold to drain the media from the mold while leaving the mold coated by a layer of the media, thereby forming a hollow shell inside the mold.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,896 to Moore et al discloses a method for making liquid-centered jelly candies by deposition in a starch mold to a level that half fills the mold. A small hard candy pellet is made from sugar, color, flavor, and acidulent. The hard candy pellet is centered on the jelly candy in each of the half full molds. A second deposit of warm jelly candy is filled over the pellets completing the candy pieces. The candy is cured at about 130° F. to about 140° F. for about 24-48 hours. During which time, moisture from the jelly candy migrates to and liquefies each candy pellet forming the liquid-centered jelly candy. The completed candy pieces are cured in the molds at about 130° F. to about 140° F. for about 24-48 hours. During the curing process, the moisture from the jelly migrates into and liquefies the sugar paste forming a liquid-centered jelly candy.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,495,179, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0091700 A1, and International Patent Publication No. WO 00/64271 each to Zietlow et al disclose aerated confections in the form of pieces having a body color and a body exterior surface where at least a portion has been modified to provide an appearance disparate to the body. At least a portion of the external surface has a distinguishing feature differing from the body in color, texture or structure. Multi-colored marshmallows, it is disclosed, are conventionally made by dividing an aerated foam into a plurality of sub-streams, to admix a desired colorant into each sub-stream, and then extrude these colored sub-streams in substantially equal portions into a single rope or multiplicity of such ropes. In the Zietlow process a mass of aerated confection pieces having at least one colored portion and having an external surface at least a portion of which is sticky; have applied thereto particles of a coating at least a fraction of which have a second color to adhere the particles to the sticky portion of the surface. The coated aerated confection pieces are formed into finished non-sticky coated pieces.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,528,102 to Coyle et al discloses processes for the co-deposition of a two component fruit snack confection including a fruit snack material jacket and a distinct center filling. In at least one embodiment, the center filling is jam like and is jelled in part by the action of pectin in the presence of food grade acid. The process utilized incorporates mass flow meters to monitor the specific gravities of the jacket and center filling to keep the specific gravities of the center material and the jacket substantially the same and the creation of the multi-component fruit snack.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0058102 A1 and International Patent Publication No. WO 03/043437 A1 each to Makela et al disclose molding festooned, edible laminated structures that have at least one first fluid material of a sticky or flowable mass interleaved between thin layers of a second fluid material, wherein the first fluid material forms a pattern visible through the second fluid material, which has a visually translucent thickness.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/010233 A1 to Klug et al discloses an edible confectionery product that has at least two parts. The first part is a base unit formed of a first confectionery and having a top, a bottom, and between five to twelve sides when viewed from above. The second part is a center inclusion formed of a second confectionery. The center inclusion is partially embedded in the base unit and extends above the top of the base unit. The center inclusion is set in, as viewed from the top, from any side of the base unit. The first confectionery has a different composition and preferably has a different texture than the second confectionery. In one embodiment, a plurality of base units are shearably joined.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0192345 A1 and International Patent Publication No. WO 02/071872 A2 each to Kepplinger et al disclose forming an aerated food component from a mixture of sweeteners, a fruit concentrate, an ionic hydrocolloid, a calcium source, an edible acid, a cation source, and a whipping protein. The aerated food component can be extruded, cut into pieces and dried to form a low moisture aerated cereal additive that remains crisp in a liquid. The formulation also permits high levels of fruit to be incorporated into the aerated food component.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0077362 A1 to Panhorst discloses a candy product which is prepared using as a flavor component a flavorant particle which comprises a hydrophilic flavor encapsulated within a water soluble shell. The candy may be a hard candy, chewy candy, a gummy or jelly candy, a paste lozenge, tablet licorice, or a pan coated candy.
European Patent Publication No. EPO 0322952 B1 discloses an aerated confection comprising ice confection or chilled mousse-like material and an aerated fat-based glaze material. The glaze material may be a slab or a bar arranged as a core in the confection, or as a plug or relatively big lump in the body of the confection. Apparatus and dispensing device for manufacturing such aerated confection, may include a recirculation conduit which is axially movable within a dispensing conduit.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,715,803 and 4,748,031 to Koppa disclose an extruder which provides a triple coextruded product having an inner layer, which is surrounded, or enrobed, by an intermediate layer, which is surrounded, or enrobed, by a third outer-most layer. The inner layer is a dough having a chewy and moist texture when baked and the outer layer is a dough having a crispy texture after baking. These patents relate specifically to the introduction of a barrier material between the two dough layers in order to achieve the desired product stability and shelf life. The moisture barrier is injected through the outer cylindrical layer in a tube upstream of the extruder outlet.
A pillow-shaped product, having an outer layer of expanded dough and two different filler materials is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,698,004 and 4,888,192 to Ramnarine. The penetration of the outer expansible dough by the inner fillers in the end product is avoided through the use of a nozzle which can be adjusted to compensate for the effects of the fluid flow of the individual streams. The process is directed to the side-by-side extrusion of the filler materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,241,503 to Schafer discloses a die for the manufacture of cookies with concentric rings of different colored dough. The process involves introducing successive layers of dough through conduits perpendicular to the die into annular cavities surrounding a longitudinally extending bore.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,999 to Matthews et al discloses triple coextruding a meat-based product comprising whole muscle body surrounding a core stuffing, an outer casing, and an annular layer of fat between the whole-muscle body and the outer casing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,686,128 to Tracey et al discloses the production of a triple coextruded snack having a casing material which may be a dough or an expansible dough such as a cookie dough, or cracker dough enrobing two fillers. The triple coextrusion apparatus includes a unitary die block for all three materials and has smooth and uninterrupted flow paths. A small diameter extrudate rope is produced with a central filler enrobed by an outer filler, subsequently enrobed by an outer casing formed from multiple streams. The outer casing material streams reform into an integral concentric layer having no or substantially no seam lines or striations in the outer casing. The extrudate ropes may be sufficiently small in diameter, even when the casing is expanded, to allow feeding into a candy machine for shaping by molding or crimping to produce small diameter snack products without substantial waste or scrap material.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-070036, published Apr. 20, 1985, discloses production of three-layered soft food by extruding a core layer, interlayer, and outer layer at the same time to mold a three-layered cylindrical material, rolling the material while cut into a given size using a cutting and rolling means, and molding the material.
Coextrusion is also used to manufacture multi-layered plastic articles. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,954 to Murakami, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,417 to Kopp, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,187 to Cook describe apparatus and processes for manufacturing multilayered tubular or hollow plastic products where each outer layer is successively added downstream to surround the upstream added inner material or materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,585 to Rosenbaum, U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,002 to Spence, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,648 to Spence, et al. describe method and apparatus for manufacturing multilayered plastic pipe where the inner layer is injected across the central layer and through a spider.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,882 to Doucet describes method and apparatus for manufacturing multilayered plastic pipe where the central layer is injected across the outer layer through a trefoil.
German patent DT 3044535 (published Jun. 24, 1982) describes a method and apparatus for manufacturing multilayered plastic pipe where one or two central layers are injected across the outer layer.
As to apparatus for the production of center-filled confections, Japanese Patent Publication No. 6030707 to Hidenari et al, assigned to Kanebo Ltd., and published on Feb. 8, 1994 discloses apparatus for continuously producing a centered confectionery capable of always filling a center at a constant ratio or a constant amount of a filled center such as chewing gum or candy. A concentrically arranged double-pipe nozzle is installed in the tip of an extruder and an annular nozzle of the double-pipe nozzle communicates with a discharge outlet of the extruder. The central nozzle part communicates with a discharge outlet of a pump for a center. A rope sizer for drawing and forming a discharged ropy gum, a moisture meter for sensing the moisture content thereof and a stamping molding machine for stamping the gum into a granular shape are connectedly installed along the downstream side of the outlet of the extruder.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,299 to Vongeheur discloses a process and apparatus for pouring confectionery solution. The apparatus includes a supply tank heated to approximately 80° C., a dosing system, a nozzle plate and heating means. The proportion of the confectionery solution which is branched off from the supply tank for a pouring operation receives heat as it passes through the dosing system and/or the nozzle plate.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,546,005 and 4,601,651 each to Vongeheur disclose a confectionery solution containing gelling agents such as agar-agar, tends very markedly to form streamers or tails when being poured. The formation of tails or streamers is inhibited by the atmosphere in the environment of the pouring region being maintained at (a) a temperature at least equal to the temperature of the confectionery solution and (b) a moisture content at least equal to the equilibrium moisture of the confectionery solution.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,533 to Schaaf discloses a cooking extruder in which the nozzle head is disposed in a nozzle plate and the passage through which the material for the envelope body is supplied extends at an angle to the axis of a filling tube through which the filling material is introduced into the extruded envelope body. When clogging occurs during production the filling tube can be withdrawn from the nozzle head and replaced by a new filling tube. The front end of the filling tube is led between forming rolls and serves as an abutment for the rolls. This makes it possible to form the surface of the envelope body with a pattern or bake the surface locally or over the entire periphery. In the nozzle head a baffle plate is disposed with the aid of which a uniform distribution of the material supplied for the envelope body may be achieved. An annular space between a lining tube in a hollow mandrel and the filling tube may be subjected to suction extraction.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,975,288 and 5,125,819, European Patent Publications Nos. 320,580 A2, 320,580 A3, and 320,580 B1, and Japanese Patent No. 1168243 each to Hager et al disclose an apparatus for making center-filled chewing gum, in which product having up to at least 35-40% by weight of center fill can be produced. The apparatus includes an extruder barrel and nozzle arrangement which extrudes a tubular rope of gum through an annular orifice, and at the same time supplies a center-fill material to the hollow interior of the tubular rope through a central nozzle concentric with the orifice.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,039,554 and 6,283,742, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0043740/A1, and European Patent Publication No. 0 783 840 each to Akutagawa disclose a molding system for use in producing a solidified article having a predetermined composite pattern formed of at least two kinds of viscous fluids distinct from each other in color. The system includes at least one discrete passage per each of the viscous fluids, and at least one discrete passage outlet per each of the viscous fluids separately guided through the at least one discrete passage.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,383,539 and European Patent Publication No. 0 968 656 A1 each to Akutagawa disclose a nozzle assembly branching each stream of at least two fluidized food materials of different colors into multiple streams, and guiding the multiple streams to predetermined locations in a mold. The nozzle assembly includes an upper nozzle plate, at least one lower nozzle plate positioned below and in contact with the upper nozzle plate, each of the upper and lower nozzle plates having at least two discrete passages, each of the passages in the upper nozzle plate guiding one of the food materials in a substantially horizontal direction, and having at least one communication port each in communication with corresponding one of the passages in the lower nozzle plate, each of the passages in the lower nozzle plate having at least one discharge port for discharging one of the food materials into one of the one or more unit cavities, at least one of the passages in the lower nozzle plate being a horizontal guide passage for guiding one of the food materials in a substantially horizontal direction.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,200,125, 6,361,811 and 6,509,048, and European Patent Publication No. 0 965 274 A1 each to Akutagawa disclose a decorative food formed of a plurality of kinds of fluid food materials and manufactured by using a mold. The decorative food has an outside shape thereof conforming to an interior surface of the mold inclusive of an opening of the mold. The decorative food has a colored pattern divided into multiple divisions extending up to a central portion of the decorative food, in a direction to extrude the food materials into the mold, the colored pattern being formed such that the multiple divisions are arranged with substantially the same ratio at any of a cross sectional area intersecting the direction to extrude the food materials, and wherein the decorative food contains therein a foodstuff.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,620,448 to Keller et al discloses an extruder die assembly which is inserted into an appropriate compartment within an extrusion device such that a first extrudate is directed down a coaxially aligned passageway within the forming section and combined with a fluid additive in the injection section whereupon the resulting food mass is compressed through a converging nozzle bore in the nozzle section to produce an extruded food product. The forming section and the injection section, when properly aligned and coupled form an internal peripheral reservoir manifold through which a fluid additive may be supplied to at least one and more preferably a plurality of capillary channels which in turn impart a distinct cross-sectional design into a flowing mass of a first extrudate.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,660,317 and European Patent Publication No. 1 103 187 A1 each to Akutagawa disclose a method for producing patterned compound food products by: (A) pouring predetermined amounts of at least two kinds of fluid food materials of different colors for forming the outer section into a cavity of a mold to obtain a preshaped product in a substantially fluid state held in the cavity shape; (B) inserting a nozzle into the preshaped product; ©) injecting a predetermined amount of fluid filling material for forming the inner section through the nozzle into the preshaped product; (D) drawing the nozzle out of the preshaped product; and (E) solidifying, after (D), at least the fluid food materials in the cavity.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus which solve both candy stringing and filler leakage or bleed-out problems in producing starch deposited, center filled confections, such as gummy candy, jelly candy, and fruit snacks. In accordance with the present invention, low viscosity shell and filler components may be employed to avoid candy stringing without substantial decentering of the filler. Center-filled confections obtained using the methods and apparatus of the present invention have substantially uniformly thick walls, and are durable during material handling processes employed after deposition and molding such as oiling, polishing, and packaging. The products exhibit long term shelf life in bags or pouches without substantial leaking or bleed-out of filler, are non-sticky, have a desirable appearance, even when the shell is translucent or transparent thereby making the filler component visible through the shell. The products contain a high weight percentage of filler and may be produced in mold cavities having a greater depth than width without resulting in weak, leaky shell side walls.
The apparatus and methods of the present invention at least substantially prevent excessive flow of shell component along the side of shell introduction into the manifold nozzle or cavity thereby avoiding decentering of the filler. In embodiments of the invention, known or commercially available Moguls or starch depositors having a single entry for the shell component may be retrofitted with a nozzle insert to evenly distribute the shell component. In other embodiments of the present invention, a manifold design which provides more even distribution or flow of the shell component through the nozzle annulus is provided.